On behalf of the Jersey Coast Anglers Association, I attended the New Jersey Outdoor Alliance (NJOA) meeting that was held on April 25th. I also chaired this meeting as its president. The following issues were discussed:
Sandy Hook Bay Natural Marine Sanctuary - I briefed the NJOA member organizations that Mr. Rick Van Hemmen has not given up his quest to make the Sandy Hook Bay a sanctuary. He has been meeting with local municipalities to gain their support for it. While there is talk that he will never get this sanctuary off the ground, I indicated that we need to keep an eye on him. While environmental groups that we are familiar with have remained quiet so far about supporting him, that can easily change overnight and support for it can start to pick up steam. I think of the story about the tortoise and the hare and nobody expected the tortoise to win the race. Confident about winning the race, the hare took a nap while the tortoise slowly but surely inched away to cross the finish line and win the race. We cannot take a nap on this sanctuary issue and we will continue to keep it up on our radar screen.
Movement of the Department of Fish & Wildlife (F&W) under the Agricultural Natural and Resources Department - As reported in our March JCAA newsletter, there was discussion at a NJ Marine Fisheries Council meeting to move Fish &Wildlife under the Agricultural Department. Thankfully, this movement eventually lacked the political backing it needed to make it happen and the F&W will continue to remain under the NJ DEP. Placing it under the Agricultural Department makes no sense since it has no professional background or expertise in wildlife management. JCAA's Legislative Chairman, Tom Fote, and I have testified several times in Trenton against this movement that keeps on coming up over the years. It is not helpful for recreational anglers, but it is more beneficial for the commercial industry. While stopped at this time, I do think, unfortunately, we will see this political power grab again and we will speak out against it.
Trap Survey on Two Artificial Reefs - I reported that our state's Division of Fish & Wildlife and researches from Rutgers University have deployed a series of fish traps on two reefs to focus on several species of great recreational and commercial importance that includes black sea bass, blackfish, lobster and other commercially important species occurring on the reefs. The two locations are the Little Egg and Sea Girt reefs. A total of 22 traps have been placed on the reefs and will remain in place until November 22nd. The results from this project will be useful for better understanding the workings of the artificial reefs and their future deployment at other sites. This survey is being funded by the NJ DEP.
